Story of the minstrel who began to sing this ode at the banquet of the Turkish Amír: “Art Thou a rose or a lily or a cypress or a man? I know not. What dost Thou desire from this bewildered one who has lost his heart? I know not”— and how the Turk shouted at him, “Tell of that which you know!”—and the minstrel's reply to the Amír.

مطرب آغازید پیش ترک مست ** در حجاب نغمه اسرار الست

In the presence of the drunken Turk the minstrel began (to sing of) the mysteries of Alast under the veil of melody—

من ندانم که تو ماهی یا وثن ** من ندانم تا چه می‌خواهی ز من

“I know not whether Thou art a moon or an idol, I know not what Thou desirest of me.

می‌ندانم که چه خدمت آرمت ** تن زنم یا در عبارت آرمت 705

I know not what service I shall pay Thee, whether I shall keep silence or express Thee in words.

این عجب که نیستی از من جدا ** می‌ندانم من کجاام تو کجا

’Tis marvellous that Thou art not separate from me, (and yet) where am I, and where Thou, I know not.

می‌ندانم که مرا چون می‌کشی ** گاه در بر گاه در خون می‌کشی

I know not how Thou art drawing me: Thou drawest me now into Thy bosom, now into blood.”

هم‌چنین لب در ندانم باز کرد ** می‌ندانم می‌ندانم ساز کرد

In this fashion he opened his lips (only) to say “I know not”: he made a tune of “I know not, I know not.”

چون ز حد شد می‌ندانم از شگفت ** ترک ما را زین حراره دل گرفت

When (the refrain) “I know not” passed beyond bounds, our Turk was amazed and his heart became sick of this ditty.

برجهید آن ترک و دبوسی کشید ** تا علیها بر سر مطرب رسید 710

The Turk leaped up and fetched an iron mace to smite the minstrel's head with it on the spot;

گرز را بگرفت سرهنگی بدست ** گفت نه مطرب کشی این دم بدست

(But) an officer seized the mace with his hand, saying, “Nay; ’tis wicked to kill the minstrel at this moment.”

گفت این تکرار بی حد و مرش ** کوفت طبعم را بکوبم من سرش

He (the Turk) replied, “This endless and countless repetition of his has pounded my nerves: I will pound his head.

قلتبانا می‌ندانی گه مخور ** ور همی‌دانی بزن مقصود بر

O cuckold, (if) you don't know, don't talk nonsense; and if you do know, play (a tune) to the purpose.

آن بگو ای گیج که می‌دانیش ** می‌ندانم می‌ندانم در مکش

Tell of that which you know, O crazy fool: don't draw out (repeat continually) ‘I know not, I know not.’

من بپرسم کز کجایی هی مری ** تو بگویی نه ز بلخ و نه از هری 715

(Suppose) I ask, ‘Where do you come from, hypocrite, eh?’ you will say, ‘Not from Balkh, and not from Herát,

نه ز بغداد و نه موصل نه طراز ** در کشی در نی و نی راه دراز

Not from Baghdád and not from Mosul and not from Tiráz’: you will draw out a long journey in (saying) ‘not’ and ‘not.’

خود بگو من از کجاام باز ره ** هست تنقیح مناط اینجا بله

Just say where you come from and escape (from further discussion): in this case it is folly to elaborate the point at issue.

یا بپرسیدم چه خوردی ناشتاب ** تو بگویی نه شراب و نه کباب

Or (suppose) I asked, ‘What had you for breakfast?’ you would say, ‘Not wine and not roast-meat,

نه قدید و نه ثرید و نه عدس ** آنچ خوردی آن بگو تنها و بس

Not qadíd and not tharíd and not lentils’: tell me what you did eat, only (that) and no more.

این سخن‌خایی دراز از بهر چیست ** گفت مطرب زانک مقصودم خفیست 720

Wherefore is this long palaver?” “Because,” said the minstrel, “my object is recondite.

می‌رمد اثبات پیش از نفی تو ** نفی کردم تا بری ز اثبات بو

Before (until) you deny (all else), affirmation (of God) evades (you): I denied (everything) in order that you might get a scent of (perceive the means of attaining to) affirmation.

در نوا آرم بنفی این ساز را ** چون بمیری مرگ گوید راز را

I play the tune of negation: when you die, death will declare the mystery.

[Commentary on his (the Prophet's) saying—peace be upon him!— ‘Die before ye die.’ ‘O friend, die before thy death if thou desirest life; for by so dying Idrís became a dweller in Paradise before (the rest of) us.’]

جان بسی کندی و اندر پرده‌ای ** زانک مردن اصل بد ناورده‌ای

You have suffered much agony, but you are (still) in the veil, because dying (to self) was the fundamental principle, and you have not fulfilled it.

تا نمیری نیست جان کندن تمام ** بی‌کمال نردبان نایی به بام

Your agony is not finished till you die: you cannot reach the roof without completing the ladder.

چون ز صد پایه دو پایه کم بود ** بام را کوشنده نامحرم بود 725

When two rungs out of a hundred are wanting, the striver will be forbidden to (set foot on) the roof.

چون رسن یک گز ز صد گز کم بود ** آب اندر دلو از چه کی رود

When the rope lacks one ell out of a hundred, how should the water go from the well into the bucket?

غرق این کشتی نیابی ای امیر ** تا بننهی اندرو من الاخیر

O Amír, you will not experience the wreck of this ship (of self-existence) till you put into it the last mann.

من آخر اصل دان کو طارقست ** کشتی وسواس و غی را غارقست

Know that the last mann is fundamental, for it is (like) the (piercing) star that rises at night: it wrecks the ship of evil suggestion and error.

آفتاب گنبد ازرق شود ** کشتی هش چونک مستغرق شود

The ship of (self-)consciousness, when it is utterly wrecked, becomes (like) the sun in the blue vault (of heaven).

چون نمردی گشت جان کندن دراز ** مات شو در صبح ای شمع طراز 730

Inasmuch as you have not died, your agony has been prolonged: be extinguished in the dawn, O candle of Tiráz!

تا نگشتند اختران ما نهان ** دانک پنهانست خورشید جهان

Know that the Sun of the world is hidden till our stars have become hidden.

گرز بر خود زن منی در هم شکن ** زانک پنبه‌ی گوش آمد چشم تن

Wield the mace against yourself: shatter egoism to pieces, for the bodily eye is (as) cottonwool in the ear.

گرز بر خود می‌زنی خود ای دنی ** عکس تست اندر فعالم این منی

You are wielding the mace against yourself, O base man: this egoism is the reflexion of yourself in (the mirror of) my actions.

عکس خود در صورت من دیده‌ای ** در قتال خویش بر جوشیده‌ای

You have seen the reflexion of yourself in (the mirror of) my form and have risen in fury to fight with yourself,

هم‌چو آن شیری که در چه شد فرو ** عکس خود را خصم خود پنداشت او 735

Like the lion who went down into the well; (for) he fancied that the reflexion of himself was his enemy.”

نفی ضد هست باشد بی‌شکی ** تا ز ضد ضد را بدانی اندکی

Beyond any doubt, negation (not-being) is the opposite of (real) being, (and this is) in order that by means of the (one) opposite you may gain a little knowledge of the (other) opposite.

این زمان جز نفی ضد اعلام نیست ** اندرین نشات دمی بی‌دام نیست

At this time there is no (means of) making (God) known except (by) denying the opposite: in this (earthly) life no moment is without a snare.

بی‌حجابت باید آن ای ذو لباب ** مرگ را بگزین و بر دران حجاب

O you who possess sincerity, (if) you want that (Reality) unveiled, choose death and tear off the veil—

نه چنان مرگی که در گوری روی ** مرگ تبدیلی که در نوری روی

Not such a death that you will go into a grave, (but) a death consisting of (spiritual) transformation, so that you will go into a Light.

مرد بالغ گشت آن بچگی بمرد ** رومیی شد صبغت زنگی سترد 740

(When) a man grows up, his childhood dies; (when) he becomes a (fair-complexioned) Greek, he washes out the dye (swarthy colour) of the Ethiopian.